Control device for heating appliances



March 9, 1937. E CHANDLER 2,072,868

CONTROL DEVICE FOR HEATING APPLIANCES Filed May 27, 1935 DIP-Ill" H 2 20 a If 13 /4 I l z, ilma? l/ W V I: 41 I i v v INVENTOR. fine? flLSWO/Pi/l Cmnmm ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE CONTROL DEVICE FOR HEATING APPLIANCES 2 Claims.

My invention particularly relates to control devices for heating appliances which use gas as a fuel, the invention being designed to prevent the escape of gas, when the gas pressure in the main again rises after it has fallen so low as to cause the flame to die out. Generally speaking, my improved control device consists in means for preventing the opening of the valve, controlling the passage of gas from the main to the i appliance, by an increased gas pressure, after the valve has once closed incident to a dropping of the pressure below a predetermined minimum.

My improved control device is applicable to many forms of heating appliances which utilize gases as fuel, such as gas stoves, appliances for improved control device, showing the valve closed;

Figure 2 is a vertical axial section through my improved control device, showing the valve open; Figure 3 is a plan section, taken in the plane indicated by the line 33, Figure 1; and

Figures l, 5, and'6 are, respectively, a plan view, a side elevation, and an end elevation, of a latch element forming part of my improved control device.

Referring to the annexed drawing in which the same parts are indicated by the same respective numbers in the several views, complementary casing members and 2 are secured together by screws 25 to form an inclosed chamber communicating with an entrance from the gas main formed in an outwardly-extending tapped boss 3, and a discharge port to the heating appliance formed in an outwardly-extended tapped boss 4. The boss 3 also projects inwardly of the casing member and is formed with a valve seat 5 adapted to cooperate with the face of a valve 6 having an upwardly-extended stem I which passes through and reaches substantially to the top of, or slightly above the top of, an outwardlyextended tubular boss l6 formed upon the casing member 2 opposite to that side of the chamber upon which the boss 3 is located. The stem 1 is supported by a flexible diaphragm 8 made of silk or other suitable fibrous material which is substantially impervious to the passage of gas, and 5 secured at its edge between the opposed surfaces of the casing members and 2, the stem 1 being adjustably secured to the diaphragm B by nuts 9 and I0, intermediate washers II and I2 being provided, the upper part of the stem 1 being exteriorly threaded for engagement with the nuts 9 and Ill.

Engaging with the exteriorly-threaded portion of the stem 7, and within the confines of the boss I6, is a nut 2| which forms an adjustable abutment for a latch l8 which is pivoted on pins 1 l9 secured in and projecting from oppositelydisposed upstanding ears 29 formed on the top of the boss IS. The latch I8 is of substantially horse-shoe shape in plan view, Figure 4, and is pivotally mounted adjacent the upper ends of 15 the two side arms of the horse-shoe so that it can swing down into substantially vertical position and for substantially its full length and, when in this position, is adapted to seat by its lower edge upon the abutment 2| so as to prevent the abutment 2| and, hence, the stem 1 and the valve 6 from being raised. In the working of my control device, a tendency of the valve 6 and stem 1 and abutment 2| to so rise would be caused by the pressure of gas from the main through the port 3. The purpose of preventing such an opening of the valve by the gas pressure will be hereinafter fully explained. In order to provide for movement of the horse-shoe shaped latch |8 by the wall of the boss IS, the latter is cut away, as 30 indicated by 24, Figures 1 and 2, upon that side adjacent which the latch I8 pivotally moves.

The latch |8 can be swung upon its pivots I9 to release the abutment 2| by manual manipulation and, for this purpose, I form upon one of 5 the sides of the horse-shoe latch an upwardlyextending finger piece 22 which is readily accessible, when a cap I! is removed, as clearly seen in Figures 1 and 2. However, the extent of manual manipulation of the latch I8 is limited by 40 reason of the fact that that ear 2!], which is upon that side of the casing adjacent to the finger piece 22, is formed with a stop member 23 which intercepts the finger piece 22 after the latch I8 has been manually turned on its pivot l9 a pre- 45 determined distance. The purpose in, so limiting the manual release movement of the latch I8 is to prevent the same from being thrown over so far as to interfere with, or possibly prevent, the working of an automatic locking function which 50 it possesses and which will be hereinafter fully described.

I provide a tapped boss I3 laterally extended from casing member 2 above the diaphragm 8, which has a port l5 communicating with the casing chamber above the diaphragm 8, and is adapted for the reception of an exteriorly-threaded end of a suitable vent pipe M. The port 15 and pipe [4 provide means for venting any gas which may pass through the diaphragm 8 and for relieving the pressure above the diaphragm 8. The operation of the improved control device which has been described is as follows: Assuming that the elements are in the closed position shown in Figure 1, if it is desired to pass gas to the heating appliance, the cap H which engages an exteriorly-threaded portion of the boss [6 is removed, and the latch I8 is manually manipulated to lift the same from the abutment 2|,

whereupon, assuming the gas pressure in the main is equal to, or greater than, a predetermined minimum, such pressure will lift the valve 6 from the seat 5 and pass gas from the port 3 to the port 4 and thence to the appliance. The hand piece 22 is then released and the latch I8 will turn on its pivots I9 by gravity to a position wherein it is rested upon the abutment 2|, as clearly. shown in Figure 2. Then the cap I! is replaced. vThen any gas pressure equal to or above a certainpredetermined minimum will hold the valve 6 open against the weight of the latch I8 and against the weight of the valve stem I and associated elements, these weights having been selected suitably for the purpose. These selected weights are 30 such that gas willbe passed, under these conditions, suitably for maintaining the fire in the appliance. However, if the gas pressure falls so low as to cause theflame in the heating appliance to go out, such gas pressure is insufficient to hold 3 the valve 6 open against the Weight of the latch l8 andof the valve and. associated parts, thus resulting in a pressing of the valve 5 tightly to its seat 5 through the medium of the abutment 2i and the weight of the valve parts; Such a closed 40 arrangement of the several elements is shown in Figure 1. .This arrangement is such that the latch [8 looks the abutment 2i andthus holds the valve Sin tightly closed position and any subsequent increase of the gas pressure cannot open 45 the valve 6 against the resistance of the latch [8 bearing upon the abutment 2i. Thus, gaswill not be further passed into the heating appliance and, therefore, there will not be an accumulation of unburned gases in the appliance due to the gas 50 going out from falling pressure and thereafter entrance and exit ports, a valve in the casing controlling the entrance port, the valve being movable to an open position by gas pressure at the entrance port above a predetermined minimum, movable means automatically closing said valve when the gas pressure falls below said minimum, said movable means including a member supported by and movable on the casing and automatically locking the valve in closed position, and manually manipulative means for unlockingl said .yalve locking means and restoringthe'latter ,to valve-releasing position, of means limiting the extent of movement in the valve-releasing directionof said locking means attribut able to the manually manipulative means, and a capmemovably ,engageable with the casing and ,rendering the manually manipulative means inaccessible, when in position.

The combination .withcontrol device for heating appliances comprising a. casing having entrance andv exit ports, a valve in the casing for the entrance port, a valve stem having an externally-threaded outer end portion, a flexible diaphragm supported by, the casing and through" f ally-engageable member on the latch for swinging the latter on its pivot, and means on said ears for limiting the amount of pivotal movement of the latch in the opposite direction of pivotal movement. ELLSWORTH CHANDLER. 

